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Sport or Recreation; Reality or Perception

There has been talks for years of trying to get bowling into the Olympics. Bowling on the same par as track & field, soccer, swimming and the decathlon? Gymnastics gets the most television viewers for the Olympics but with its subjective scoring, I don't consider it a sport.

However, the perception of bowling is probably what is keeping it out of the Games. I am not referring to an individual's perception of bowling, or taking a general survey of the population. I am no sociologist, but I think there is an institutional negative perception of bowling. USBC has now decided to focus on the SPORT of bowling; advanced coaching and more equipment specifications as some examples.

There is a lull period in college football right now; the end of the season and before the bowl season. This void needs to be filled with other televised activities. This institutional perception was made aware to me while I exercised at the gym one Sunday afternoon. There were many televisions around the facility displaying different channels. Besides the NFL game, I noticed the other events being televised; billiards tournament, darts tournament, and a poker tournament. If you include the PBA show earlier in the day, you have included every event you can see in a 'family fun center' or 'recreation center' or whatever we call 'bowling alleys' these days. Thus, my view is that society groups these events together.

The purpose of television programming is to broadcast shows and events that attract viewers so as to sell advertising. That works for me. I'd rather watch darts, billiards, bowling, and poker than gymnastics.

Help Mark Roth

News from CharlestonBowling.com

• New items added to the Mark Roth Live Online Auction
• Charity Tournament to be held for Mark Roth
• Charleston Traveling 8-Game Year End Tournament held
• Greater Charleston USBC Youth City Tournament Results
• Greater Charleston USBC holds Hall of Fame and Annual Awards Banquet

New items added to the Mark Roth Live Online Auction

Want to own a piece of bowling memorabilia while helping support a legendary pro bowler? Check out the live auction going on right now at http://charlestonbowling.com/markrothauction.htm - autographed jerseys, balls, and photos have just been added by recently crowned PBA title holder Bill O'Neill, legends like Tom Baker, Ryan Shafer, Norm Duke as well as Ryan Cimenelli and Jason Belmonte and many more. Check it out today, auction ends on December 6th!

Charity Tournament to be held for Mark Roth

In addition to the live online auction, we are teaming up with John Howe and Royal Z Lanes in Columbia to hold a Old Dog Young Dog tournament charity tournament for Mark Roth. One bowler must be over 50 and one under 50. The Tournament will be held on December 26th at Royal Z Lanes in Columbia, SC. Check in begins at 11am and bowling begins at 12pm. Prizes are - $900 1st place singles (based on 30 entries), $1800 1st place doubles (based on 20 teams). Go to http://charlestonbowling.com/MarkRoth.htm for more information!

I thought we already had these ...

900Global has introduced a radio controlled bowling ball. A real life bowling game like Wii when you can use your controller to guide the bowling ball after it is delivered down the lane. On some of today's lane conditions, it appears that some balls are being easily directed to the pocket by some mysterious control. It must be radio control as it does not matter what board, or arrow, the bowler uses on each subsequent shot. I like to see how good a 'poker face' a competitor has I observe his facial reaction after an errant shot is dead flush in the pocket. Is he showing gratitude, relief, discovery, or no emotion at all? I need to know if he realizes that his 'look' to the pocket is better than he thought. I don't want him to get more comfortable. I don't mind if he wants to explore his area on the lanes. My opinion is he will sacrifice some carry if he varies too far from his intended target.

900Global has signed Walter Ray Williams, Jr. to its professional staff. For the conspiracy theorists, is the new remote control ball the reason WRW can play the outside part of the lane when no other pro bowler is out there?

I once made a 3 point shot and hit a home run

The Birmingham News has a news story on Alabama's Heisman hopeful Mark Ingram. Touting his multiple athletic prowess, the story proudly states he has bowled a 248 and shot a round of 69 on the golf course.

Well, bowlers will tell you that this is not equivalent. Ask any bowler and he would tell you that he would rather have a 69 golf score than a 248. For me, it is the old saying of "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." With the 69 being the hard to collect 'two in the bush,' most bowlers see 248 scores on some league nights like leaves falling off a tree.

I know that some hero worship by local sports media is expected sometime, but this local story is a little over the top. I am not the only one to see it as one on-line commenter to this story added more parody:

He's the only known specimen to win 3 free games of putt-putt in one 18 hole round. He sunk that hole-in-one so hard on #18 that came in and out of the windmill 2 times before sinking itself for the third time.

One must realize that this kind of reporting is the reason there is little, if any, bowling coverage in newspapers. Sundays during football season, your paper probably has its own Alabama section, Auburn section as well as the normal Sports section. As a former member of an Association publicity committee, this reason was given as to why there is no bowling coverage. There is no space available to it.